"How on Earth do I get across this thing?"
Distance: 9.5 miles
Elevation: 3080 feet
Time: 6 hours, 57 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 With a View, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, Terrifying 25, 52 Hike Challenge, Summit Beer Society
The Hike
Labor Day Weekend Eve! Also known as my last Friday of summer, with the children returning to school on Tuesday. I had a few ideas of what to hike today, and I eventually landed on taking the long route around Middle Sister and Mt. Chocorua. I arrived to the trailhead at 6:40am, tying another car for first in the lot. The short road off of NH 16 was in rough shape, but nothing too brutal. In the ~15 minutes I spent getting ready three other cars rolled in - so I was feeling the pressure to get started. I used the composting toilets (twice), and they reminded me of giant sized airplane bathrooms - a massive plastic room. I filled out the day-use fee envelope and realized I only had $4 instead of the $5, so I put what I had in the envelope and sealed it up. Someday I'll have enough cash on hand (or think ahead). I put on my fleece since it was 46 degrees, and got the day going!
Starting on the Piper Trail, a few of us early birds played a metaphorical game of leap frog as we hiked, paused to de-layer, hiked some more, paused to adjust something, and the works. The Piper Trail was wide and peaceful, never getting too steep (that will be saved for later). I was worried how my lungs would do with the chilly air, but thankfully I wasn't breathing too heavily for too long. There were birds high up in the trees acting a fool and knocking over pinecones, and the trail started to get steeper after the junction with the Weetamoo Trail (where I will be ending the loop later).
I officially left the game of leap frog when I turned onto the Nickerson Ledge Trail - the rest of my new metaphorical friends continued on the Piper Trail. The trail climbs decently steeply at first but quickly leveled out. My knee started to act up here, but thankfully it got over itself. I also realized here that I forgot to wear deodorant... whoops! Partway up the climb, slightly off trail, the summit of Mt. Chocorua poked through a small window in the trees. A theme of this hike was the constant reminder of how close the peak is, but also how far away it is!
Continuing on the Nickerson Ledge Trail, I eventually arrived at Nickerson Ledge, which provided great views toward the Ossipees and Bald Mountain. The rest of the Nickerson Ledge Trail was quite lovely, through gradually descending forest with many young trees. The trail eventually terminates at the Carter Ledge Trail, which ended up sending me through a whole range of emotions. It started off really fun and scenic. There was one sketchy ascent on a loose, gravelly slope, but the views kept coming from different slabs. Lots of small scrambles here, but nothing too brutal. I also realize that the sun finally felt nice again - I had spent the past however many months begging for clouds and relief from the brutal sun, but the chilly morning finally broke that spell.
Reading back at some of the notes I took down during my hike, I chuckle at how I had no idea what was coming. There are a few more ledges and scrambles that eventually lead to the Carter Ledge, which is truly a destination in itself. I was blown away at the views of the Sisters and Chocura, the Presidentials, the Moats, and all the mountains to the south. Really an incredible place, and I'm sure it'll look even more incredible in a few weeks when the foliage kicks in. The section of trail from the Nickerson Ledge jct. and the Carter Ledge was truly just some beautiful, fun hiking. I did find myself whispering "slow and steady doesn't pass away" at certain points, but there are enough views to get the heart rate down.
After Carter Ledge, the Carter Ledge Trail dips back into the woods and begins to steeply climb up to the Third Sister. I need to say, I was very impressed with my hip mobility during these sections. I managed decently being 5'10", but I can see how it would be a lot more challenging for a shorter hiker. There was one moment where I stepped onto a ledge that was sloped downward, aiming into the abyss, and my foot slid about an inch, and my body FROZE. I've never frozen like that before, and I fully started shaking like a chihuahua. I eventually got my other foot up, slid another inch, had a micro-panic attack, and somehow made it to the other side. It was here that I realized the Carter Ledge Trail is on the Terrifying 25 list - whoops! I took a few minutes on the other side of that spot to regain my composure, drink some liquids, and stash my poles. There were a few more tricky scrambles afterward, but nothing nearly as bad as that moment. I had a good sigh of relief when I hit the end of the trail and finally turned onto the Middle Sister Trail.
The Middle Sister trail was scenic and fun! A few scrambles that weren't too challenging, lots of views, and overall gentle grades. I took a nice break at Middle Sister after admiring the old stone tower remains (and ignoring the communication antenna facing the other direction). The views were just incredible - it looked like there was no civilization for miles and dozens of mountains could be seen in all directions. The view toward Chocorua was also gorgeous with the First Sister in the foreground, and then the iconic summit just behind. It was also here where I met my new leap frog partner - we ended up passing each other at least 5 times leading up to the summit. By the end, we would just chuckle and nod.
The trail dips back down into the wood and eventually rejoins the Piper Trail, now much higher up. The Piper Trail travels through some beautiful woods between the sisters and Chocorua, and eventually breaks back out above the trees to the bare rock summit area, but not yet the summit. It reminded me a lot of Mt. Monadnock. Lots of "choose your own adventure" moments. The rock formations framed the surrounding mountains in such a beautiful way - it took me hours to sort through the hundreds of photos I ended up taking. I took a nice long break just below the true summit near some Cedar Waxwings as it looked like a pretty small area.
The final push up to the summit was up a "gully" as the WMG describes it - it was a decently steep slab with some spots to get footings. Not nearly as sketchy as that ledge, but I took it slow. Up top I took a few more photos, found the USGS marker, and did the classic sit-and-scootch down off the summit. I then joined the Liberty Trail to officially kick-off the return trip!
The Liberty Trail had some steep scrambles right away, and then traveled across some gentle slabs, providing more amazing views. There was one tricky scramble and one ledge that I was clueless how to tackle, but I made it down without too much damage. There were some incredible views looking back up at the summit. A group of hikers were coming toward me, so I pulled over, and scared the life out of a poor woman who had headphones in - I felt so bad! They all passed, and a minute later passed a large group of teens hiking in their street clothes, except for one friend who had at least a 50L external frame pack on her back? It was fascinating.
The Liberty Trail then passes the Joe Liberty Cabin which creates an amazing photo with the mountain. From here, the trail meanders up and down gently for a while with many songbirds singing around. I turned onto the Hammond Trail, which had a few more viewpoints of Mt. Chocorua and the sisters, and eventually joined the Weetamoo Trail for the final leg of this adventure.
The Weetamoo Trail started by skirting the side of the ridge with a few switchbacks. It passed Weetamoo Rock, which was a Madison Boulder sized monstrosity of a rock - super impressive! The trail then straightens out following some beautiful forest with very soft ground. There is a small, cascading brook on the right (Weetamoo Glen?), and then further down you can hear the Chocorua River on the left. Really beautiful hiking here, all wooded. The trail dips further down and eventually parallels the river with many gorgeous cascades. I was admiring the loud waterway, and when I turned around I nearly jumped out of my skin when a human was 10 feet away from me - it was my leapfrogging buddy! We chuckled, said hello, and finally concluded our hours long game of leap frog.
There was an easy water crossing of the river, and soon enough I was back at the Piper Trail, and then back in the parking lot! The first thing I noticed back at the car was that I wasn't soaked! This was groundbreaking. I was definitely damp, but not nearly as saturated as I've been for the past few months. While unpacking my pack, I then realized I had never deposited my $4 envelope to the iron ranger - whoops! Thankfully nobody was ticketing. All in all, this was an incredible hike. I'm not sure if I would do it again, just because of that pesky Carter Ledge Trail section, but I cannot recommend the rest of it enough.
Step-by-Step
Start hike on Piper Trail.
At jct. with Nickerson Ledge Trail, turn right onto Nickerson Ledge Trail.
At terminus, turn left onto Carter Ledge Trail.
At terminus, turn left onto Middle Sister Trail.
At jct. with Champney Falls Cutoff, continue on Middle Sister Trail.
At terminus, continue straight on Champney Falls Trail.
At terminus, continue straight/right on Piper Trail.
At jct. with West Side Trail, continue left on Piper Trail.
At jct. with Liberty Trail, continue on Piper Trail to summit of Mt. Chocorua.
Turn around back to jct. with Liberty Trail, follow Liberty Trail.
At jct. with West Side Trail, continue on Liberty Trail.
At jct. with Brook Trail, continue on Liberty Trail.
At jct. with Hammond Trail, join Hammond Trail.
At jct. with Weetamoo Trail, turn left onto Weetamoo Trail.
At terminus, turn right onto Piper Trail to return to parking lot.
“Piper Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This heavily used trail to Mt. Chocorua from NH 16, first blazed by Joshua Piper in the 1870s, begins behind the sign for the former Davies General Store, which is located 6.2 mi. South of the east terminus of the Kancamagus Highway (NH 112). It is a scenic and well-constructed route with generally good footing. To reach the large trailhead parking area (not plowed in winter), drive on gravel Piper Trail Rd. to the right of the former store (sign: Piper Trail) for 0.2 mi.
The trail enters the woods at a kiosk, crosses a bridge over a small brook, swings right and follows it for 0.3 mi., then turns right to join a woods road that is the old route of the trail. (The section of the old route leading back from here to NH 16 is not open to the public). Weetamoo Trail diverges left at 0.6 mi., and Piper Trail ascends moderately. Nickerson Ledge Trail diverges right at 1.2 mi. [...].
[...]. After passing more outlooks, the trail reenters the woods and climbs to the ridge crest, where Champney Falls Trail enters right at 3.6 mi. Here Piper Trail turns left (south) and skirts the east side of a hump, and in another 0.2 mi., West Side Trail enters on the right. Piper Trail soon emerges from the woods and, marked with cairns and faded yellow blazes (follow with care), continues south along the ridge over open ledges with occasional scrambles. After traversing along the east side of the crest, the trail swings right and climbs over a rocky knob, passes through a patch of scrub, and ascends along the west side of the summit cone to the jct. with Liberty Trail. Now coinciding with Liberty Trail, Piper Trail turns left (east) and climbs a small, steep rock gully to the summit; at the top, the high point is to the left.
Descending from the summit, go 40 yd. west on the only marked path, down the steep, small, ledgy gully to the first jct., where Liberty Trail turns left and Piper Trail turns right. Care should be taken to follow the correct trail on the descent, as one could easily end up on the wrong side of the mountain.”
“Nickerson Ledge Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This trail connects Piper Trail with Carter Ledge Trail and Middle Sister, making possible loop hikes that include the attractive ledges on the northeast part of the mountain. Nickerson Ledge Trail leaves Pipe Trail 1.2 mi. from the parking lot off NH 16 and climbs rather steeply for 0.2 mi. to Nickerson Ledge (on the right), which has a view south to the Ossipee Range and Bald Mtn., then continues along a broad, densely wooded ridge with a gradual ascent to Carter Ledge Trail, 2.0 mi. above White Ledge Campground."
“Carter Ledge Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This trail provides an attractive route to Middle Sister from White Ledge Campground (on NH 16, 5.0 mi. south of its jct. with NH 112) or from Piper Trail (via Nickerson Ledge Trail). It is steep and ledgy in places, with several fairly difficult scrambles in its upper section, and is better suited for ascent than descent. Carter Ledge, an interesting objective in its own right, is a fine open ledge with views of Mt. Chocorua an done of only a few colonies of jack pine (pinus banksiana) that exist in the White Mountains. [...].
[...]. Carter Ledge Trail then continues to a flat, densely wooded shoulder and the jct. with Nickerson Ledge Trail, which enters on the left at 2.0 mi. After a short descent, Carter Ledge Trail crosses a small brook and soon ascends a steep, gravelly slope with poor footing then turns sharply right and up at a gravelly slide with a view of Mt. Chocorua; this turn is easily missed, especially on the descent.
Continuing to climb steeply through the woods and then across ledges with many fine views, the trail passes through the jack pine stand and reaches the summit of the ledge at 2.8 mi., where you have a good view north a few steps to the right of the trail. The trail passes through a sag then climbs, steeply at times, up the slope of Third Sister, with several excellent out-looks, but with some ledges that can be dangerous in wet or icy conditions. Higher up is a particularly tricky scramble across a potentially slipper, downward sloping ledge (especially difficult on the descent), and, after several more scrambles, the trail reaches Middle Sister Trail 0.3 mi. northeast of Middle Sister."
“Middle Sister Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This trail begins on Carter Ledge Trail 1.1 mi. from the WMNF White Ledge Campground, climbs over the Three Sisters, and ends at Champney Falls Trail in the saddle between the Sisters and Mt. Chocorua. In its upper part, Middle Sister trail provides good views. Follow markings carefully across the open ledges of the sisters.
[...]. At 3.3 mi., Carter Ledge Trail enters on the left. Middle Sister Trail climbs steeply with good views and several ledge scrambles, crosses the ledgy summit of Third Sister and a small dip beyond, and reaches the summit of the Middle Sister at 3.6 mi.
The trail descends across the ledges to a col, where it passes Champney Falls Cutoff (right), climbs over the open ledges of First Sister, and descends steeply in the open and then moderately through woods to its terminus on Champney Falls Trail. From here, Champney Falls Trail leads 80 yd. left to Piper Trail, and then Piper Trail leads 0.6 mi. right to the summit of Mt. Chocorua."
“Liberty Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This is the easiest route to Mt. Chocorua from the southwest, although some steep ledges in its upper part are potentially dangerous if wet or icy. [...].
[...]. [...] Hammond Trail enters right. Liberty Trail climbs a hump, descends into the sag beyond, and climbs past an outlook ledge up on the right to Jim Liberty Cabin at 3.3 mi., where a isde path on the right (sign) descends 0.1 mi., to a mediocre water source and a nearby ledge with a view east. Liberty Trail swings to the left (west) at the foot of a ledge and follows the old bridge path, which was blasted out of the rock in many places.
The trail circles around the southwest side of the cone, ascending moderately with some ledge scrambling (use caution if wet or icy; one high ledge step is particularly difficult), passing two outlooks to the south, and meets Brook Trail (left) on a ledge at 3.6 mi. Liberty Trail swings right, and in 35 yd. from this jct., West Side Trail, a bad-weather summit bypass leading to Piper Trail, diverges left (north). Liberty Trail climbs east over ledges then swings left (northeast) and ascends a steep, rough section through the woods over broken ledges to the jct. where Piper Trail enters left (sign). Now coinciding with Piper Trail, Liberty Trail turns right (east) and climbs to the summit through a small, steep rock gully; at the top, the high point is to the left."
“Hammond Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This trail provides a route up Bald Mtn. and the ledgy south shoulder of Mt. Chocorua. [...].
[...]. At 2.1 mi., Weetamoo Trail enters on the right, and Hammond Trail ascends through spruce woods, scrambling up through a rocky cleft at 2.3 mi. In another 35 yd. a side path ascends 25 yd. right to a large, ledgy area with views east and northeast. In the next 0.2 mi. there are two more outlooks to the right. The trail dips to a sag then ascends to a ledgy hump, where the summit of Mt. Chocorua is a sight ahead. The trail descends then rises slightly to its end at the jct. With Liberty Trail, 1.1 mi. from the summit."
“Weetamoo Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This attractive trail with moderate grades connects the lower part of Piper Trail, 0.6 mi. From the parking lot off NH 16, with Hammond Trail well up on Bald Mtn. and gives access to the open ledges of the south ridge of Mt. Chocorua from Piper Trail.
Weetamoo Trail diverges left from Piper Trail, ascends easily, descends slightly, and crosses the Chocorua River in a fine hemlock grove at 0.4 mi. Weetamoo Trail turns right and follows the river then a tributary upstream, swings left, and climbs a long switchback. The trail ascends through young hardwood growth, enters spruce woods, turns sharply left at 1.4 mi., and reaches Weetamoo Rock, an immense boulder on the left, at 1.7 mi. The trail ends at Hammond Trail, 2.0 mi. from the summit of Mt. Chocorua via Hammond Trail and Liberty Trail."
"Mount Chocorua bears the name of Sokosis Chief Chocorua who lived in the early 1700’s. While all of the stories agree that he met his tragic death on the mountain, they differ as to how. Some have him falling from a high rock, while others have him being shot by white men after he uttered a curse on the valley below him.
The Champney Falls Trail is named for Benjamin Champney, pioneer White Mountain Artist (1817-1907). The Falls, though fantastic to view in the spring of the year, are meager in the dry seasons.
The Bee Line Trail was an old logging road which the locals continued to use as a means to get from the Bolles Trail to the summit after the loggers left the area. The Bolles Trail was a road that ran between Tamworth and the Albany Intervale, through the valley between Chocorua and Mt. Paugus. Tradition says that the first white person who ever passed through these mountains was Mother Head, who upon learning of sickness and distress in the Intervale, put on her Native American snow shoes and all alone made her way through the forest to offer her help. The road was destroyed by a hurricane and later re-blazed as a trail by Frank Bolles. Since the hurricane, the Bolles Trail is sometimes referred to as the Lost Trail.
The Chocorua Mountain Road (now the Liberty Trail) was the shortest and most popular road to the summit of Mt. Chocorua and the Peak House. In 1892, David Knowles and Newell Forrest bought the road/path and rights to the Halfway House, a former logging camp, from Jim (Dutch) Liberty, who had improved the path from the southwest in 1887 and incorporated it with the state of New Hampshire in 1889. They replaced Liberty’s Peak House—two tents surrounded by a stone wall—with a three story structure which served as a hotel, obtained a new charter from the state, and spent $400 to improve the route.
At the Halfway House pedestrians had to pay a toll of $.25 each (about $30 by today’s standards). Some evidence of the Halfway House may still be found. The views from the Peak House explain why it was so popular and why people were willing to pay $13.00 per week for lodging ($1300 at today's dollar value). In 1915, the Peak House was blown off the mountain.
A cabin was constructed on the Peak House site in 1924 by the Chocorua Mountain Club. That cabin lasted until 1932 when winds blew the roof off. The Forest Service replaced it in 1934 with an enclosed cabin (Jim Liberty Cabin) with six bunk beds and large chains to hold the roof in place.
The Hammond Trail is perhaps the oldest trail on the mountain. It is said Native Americans used this trail prior to the coming of the white men. The trail takes its name from the Hammond Farm situated at the base of the trail.
Mt. Chocorua has a vast history with many more tribal names, legends, and lore. Writings such as “Albany's Recollections” by A. Bernard Perry, “Passaconaway in the White Mountains” by Charles Edward Beals, Jr., and “Mount Chocorua, A Guide and History” by Steven D. Smith will sweep you into the past. "
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